Anticreeper



l HQE.'

H. G. GILLMOR.

ANTICREEPER.

APPLiCATION FlLED JAN. 22, 1919.

1,422,260. muted July 11,1922,A

@NETE nr site ANTICREEPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11', i922?.

Application iled January 22, 1919. Serial No. 272,569.

To ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, HonATro G. GILLMOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vfashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Anticreepers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device preventing the longitudinal creep of railroad rails, such devices being commonly cal-led rail anchors, rail stays or anti-creepers, and particularly to a device comprising two parts having a wedging action, one upon the other, in which provision is made for locking the parts in position so as to resist retrograde movement as between the elements vtending to loosen the device on the rail and hence prevent its eflicient action. Anti-Creepers are subjected not only tothe stress caused by the creeping tendency of the rail, but also to vibration and to certain forces which at times operate in the direction, the reverse of move the device away from the tie against which it is abuttingand to loosen the grip of the parts themselves upon the rail. Unequal expansion and contraction of the rail and the parts of the anchor due to temperature changes also tend to destroy, unless checked, the holding power of the device.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an anti-Creeper comprising a plurality of (3o-engaging elements which together grip the rail and are so constructed and arranged that the forward creep of the rail produces a positive wedgng action between the elements by which this tendency to creep is self checked and to provide for positively preventing the loosening movement of one element in relation to the other, which vibration, contraction and expansion of the rail and the anti-Creeper' due to tempera-ture changes, the freezing of one or both of the parts in ballast, etc., would otherwise produce.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a rail anchor which-will be inexpensive to manufacture, of ample strength, durable, and at the same time lightrin Weight. Weight is animportant consideration, both in the cost of manufacturing and in the cost of transportation.

The invention is illustrated in one embodiment in the accompanying drawings wherein- Fig. 1 is a side elevation shown the device in operative position on the rail.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the device in position with the rail shown in section; I

Fig. 3 is an endA elevation,4 the rail and wedge shoe shown in section, illustrating the method of applying the device to the rail.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the wedge shoe.

Like reference characters designate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

i is a rail of usual form which rests on ties, a portion of one of which is indicated by B. The embodiment illustrated comprises two parts, a shoe C and a yoke D. Shoe C has at one end flange E adapted to engage a tie and at the other end a shallow flange F. Upon the portion of the shoe C intermediate the flanges E and F is formed a surface G, which is partially conical, inclined to the rail bottom and the upper face of the shoe C so as to form a wedge surface. The yoke D is provided with two arms or jaws H and land the intermediate portion is formed at K to engage the surface G of the Vshoe C in such manner that when the portion K of the yoke D engages the surface G of the shoe C and the shoe C engages the rail base movement of the yoke D transversely ofthe rail will cause the shoe C to move transversely upon the rail with the yoke D. The jaw I of the yoke D is longer than the jaw H and is offset to form a shoulder L to engage the corner of the rail base. The surface L of this shoulder is inclined to the surfaces M and N of the jaw I. The shorter arm or jawH is provided with a portion bearing a surface O `inclined to the surface P of the jaw H which engages the upper surface of the rail base.

The device is applied to the rail by engaging the surface G of the shoe adjacent the shallow flange F with the complementary surface of the portion K of the voke and hooking the longer arm I over the rail base at one side and then raising the shorter jaw or arm H until the surface may be brought into engagement with the upper corner of the other side of the rail base. The arms I and H and the transverse portion of the yoke D are so proportioned as to permit thisto be done. rIlhe device will then be in a position corresponding to that shown in Figure 3, the upper portion of the shoe C engaging the bottom of the rail base and the shoe C and the yoke D interlocking so that as the yoke D is moved transversely upon the rail base, the shoe C will also be correspondingly moved. The yoke D is then forcibly moved transversely upon the rail base to the position illustrated in Figure 2. During this movement the surfaces O of the arm H and N of the arm I will first engage the rail base and as the transverse movement of the yoke D and shoe C on the rail base continues the surfaces L of the arm I and P of the arm H will engage the raill base at opposite sides of the rail A and'nally when the operative position of the device shown in Figures l and 2 is reached the surfaces M of the arm I and P of the arm H will engage the upper surface of the rail base and one corner of the rail base will be engaged by the shoulder in the arm I of the yoke D where the surfaces M and L of this arm meet. The yoke D and shoe C are so vproportioned and related that their forced movement transversely upon the rail base will cause the shoe C to press upwardly against the bottom and the arms I and H to press downwardly upon thetop of the rail base when the device is in the operative position shown in Figures l and 2. The engagement of the shoulder in Athe arm I with the corner of the rail base locks the parts upon the rail base and prevents accidental reverse movement transversely upon the rail. The shoe C and yoke D are thus securely fastened to the rail base.

`The direction in which the rail tends to creep is indicated bythe arrow in Figure 1 andas the rail moves forward the yoke D and shoe C are carried forward with the rail until the flange E of the shoe C comes into contact with the tie B. Further movement of the rail will effect a wedging action between the shoe C and the yoke D and in- ,crease the grip of the yoke D and shoe C upon'the rail until further creeping movement of the rail is prevented.

Should movement of the rail in a direction the reverse of the usual creeping movement'occur, the yoke D and shoe C will both move with the rail and the flange E will be carried out of contact with the tie B.v If, by reason of vibration of the rails, the freezing of the ballast or other cause, there is `produced movement of the shoe C in relation Ato the Ayoke D, such movement can continue only until the yoke lD comes to the position in whichytheir relation.corresponds to that itpplidation of the defbefore'r creep g:"stifessjliadbeen apiid furtherv E"m'ifeiiient teiitling""^` t'o slacken the grip of the parts upon the rail which further reverse relative movement is prevented by the ange or shoulder F occurs, the rail base will always be suiliciently strongly gripped between the yoke D and the shoe C to insure that when creeping movement of the rail occurs, the wedging action of the yoke D and shoe C will be effected and the creeping movement of the Y rail thus automatically checked.

To remove the device from the rail the yoke D should be driven longitudinally upon the rail in the direction the reverse of the arrow in Figure 1 until movement of the yoke D in relation to the shoe C is prevented by the flange or shoulder F; and then, by forcibly moving the yoke D transversely upon the rail in a direction the reverse of that in which the parts were applied, the inclined surface L of the locking shoulder in the arm I of the yoke Dwill ride up on the corner of the rail base until the surface N of the arm yI engages the upper surface of the rail base and further transverse movement of the parts will permit the arm H to be disengaged from the rail base and the parts to be removed from the rail.

It will readily be understood that the device is effectually locked upon the rail base so that neither vibration, the freezing of ballast about the shoe, or any other accidental cause will result in such slackening of the grip of the device upon the rail as will prevent its efficient operation for preventing the creeping of the rail.

While I have shown and described the invention in one embodiment, modifications might be made without departure from the principles of the invention. Therefore, I do not wish to be understoody as limiting the invent-ion to the particular constructions, arrangements, and devices shown and described, except so far as the same are speciiically made limitations in certain of the claims herein. i

I claim and desire to secureV by Letters Patent:

l. An anticreeper, comprising two elements, one of which has a rigid portion which is interposed between the rail base and the other element, and is provided with means for giving the device a stationary1 position in the road bed as against the tend- "ency of the rail to creep, and the other of which comprises a resilient yoke, saidfelements having a wedging relation one to the other, interlocking and arranged for adjustment to the operative position upon the rail by movement of the two said elements together transversely of the rail.

2. A rail anchor, comprising a rigid rail base engaging member formed with a movement limiting shoulder and with a tie engaging flange and a resilient yoke which extends around the rail base engaging member and the rail base, said member and said yoke interlocking and being adjustable to the operative position upon the rail by movement of both transversely upon the rail and so constructed that movement of said yoke in relation to said tie abutting member' in one direction will effect a positive wedging action.

3. An anticreeper, comprising a rigid rail base engaging member provided with a tie engaging flange and a movement limiting flange in spaced relation to said tie engaging flange and a resilient yoke which extends around the rail base and said rail base engaging member and interlocks with said member so that said yoke and said member are positioned upon the rail base by movement of the two said members transversely of the rail whereby said yoke is put under strain and that movement of the said yoke toward the tie in relation to said rail base engaging member will effect a positive wedging action.

4. A rail anchor, comprising a rail base engaging shoe having a downwardly extending tie engaging flange atone end and a shallow, downwardly extending, movement limiting flange at the other end thereof and a tapered portion between the two said flanges, and a yoke which extends around said rail base and said shoe said yoke being adjustable to position by movement transversely of the rail whereby said yoke is put under strain.

5. A rail anchor comprising a rail embracing element extending around the base of the rail, and a member having a portion tapering lengthwise of the rail with which said rail embracing element so engages that said element and said member move together transversely upon the rail, when being applied thereto; and when applied to the rail, have a positive wedging action one upon the other with a relative movement of said element in relation to said member lengthwise of the railin one direction, said member being provided with a stop limiting the movement of said element with respect to said member in the other direction.

6. A rail anchor, comprising a rail embracing element extending around the base of the rail, and a member having a portion tapered lengthwise of the rail, a tie abutting portion at one end and a downwardly projecting movement limiting flange at the other end, with which said rail embracing element so engages that said element and said member' move together transversely in being positioned upon the rail; and, when in position on the rail, have a positive wedging action one upon the other when said element moves lengthwise of the rail with respect to said member in one direction` 7 A device for preventing the creeping of rails, comprising co-acting rail engaging elements one of which is provided with a rigid portion having tapered surfaces and means for engaging a tie and is interposed between the other of said' elements, which is adapted to be strained, and the rail base, said elements being adjustable to the operative position upon the rail by movement transversely of the rail whereby the strain element is put under strain.

8. An anti-creeper, comprising a resilient yoke member adapted to extend around the base of a rail and a wedge member having downwardly extending flanges at the two ends thereof, that at the thick end adapted to engage a tie in opposition to the tendency of the rail to creep and that at the thin end adapted to limit the slackening movement of said yoke in relation to said wedge member, said wedge member being interposed between said yoke and the rail bottom and the two said members being adjustable to position upon the rail by transverse movement thereon.

9. A rail anchor, comprising a resilient strained yoke member adapted to extend around the base of a rail and a rigid wedge member having a movement limiting shoulder at the thin end thereof and a tie abutting fiange at the thick end thereof embraced by said yoke, said yoke and wedge member interlocking and ar anged to be positioned upon the rail by forced movement transverse to the rail, which said transverse movement causes the two said members to exert gripping pressure upon the rail.

10. An anti-creeper, comprising a resilient yoke member adapted to extend around the base of a rail and a rigid wedge member which intervenes between said yoke member and the rail bottom and is provided with means at the thin end thereof for preventing disengagement of said yoke from said wedge and with means for engaging a tie at the thick end thereof, said members interlocking so that they may be forcibly moved transversely upon the rail for positioning thereon and the yoke member be thereby strained, said members being locked in position upon the rail by engagement of the yoke member with the edge of the rail base.

H. G. GILLMOR. 

